EP1722667B1 - Large domestic appliance comprising a door that can be displaced by a handle, in particular for dishwashers - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a large domestic appliance comprising a housing that surrounds a treatment compartment and a door (2) that can be displaced by a handle (1). The front of said door comprises an operating panel (3) containing control elements, in addition to an external door (4). The handle (1) is located on the operating panel (3) and is connected by a force-fit to a retaining device (11) of the door that is situated on the rear face (8) of the operating panel.

Description

The invention relates to a large household appliance with a housing enclosing a treatment space and having a door which can be moved by a handle, which has a control panel having control elements on the front side and an outer door.

The design of the door of a large household appliance, such as e.g. a dishwasher, takes place increasingly aesthetically. The design of a large household appliance is essentially determined by its outer door. Their design can already be predetermined by a respective manufacturer in a neutral form. The outer door can also be designed in such a way that it allows the insertion of a decorative trim in the outer door.

Doors of such large household appliances also have a control panel, which is located in the upper portion of the door and which includes the controls. The controls can be arranged on the front side on the front of the control panel or on the front side of the control panel and thus the door.

The control panel is usually connected via a detachable connection with the door, more precisely a part of the door which is not visible from the outside. By this construction - division of the door in the outer door and detachable control panel - needs e.g. in case of a defect of a control element, only the control panel are removed. In an integration of the controls in the outer door, which is a mainstay and thus has a firm connection with other parts of the door, a repair would be much more complex.

The door is often opened by means of a bow-type handle placed in the area of the outer door, e.g. in the form of a U-shaped bent metal rod. For ease of handling when opening the door, the handle should be as high as possible, i. in the immediate vicinity of the control panel of the door, be arranged. Since the outer door is a supporting element of the door of the large household appliance, the attachment of the handle can be made directly to the outer door itself.

To attach the handle to a door, various proposals are known from the prior art. So will in the DE 89 03 553 U1 described the attachment of a handle on a oven door, the outer door consists of a glass plate. The handle is fastened with handlebars projecting through openings in the glass plate, wherein at least one metallic bearing plate is glued to the back of the glass plate in the region of the openings over a large area, the in turn, at the level of the openings in the glass plate openings or passages whose inside width is less than that of the opening of the glass plate and the storage and attachment of the handle bars are used. This causes the forces acting on the handle are kept away from the soffits of the glass openings and act exclusively on the bearing plate. The ends of the handle can be bolted directly to the metal plate.

The DE 36 44 021 A1 describes a door having at least one spigot on which a handle can be plugged. Handle and spigot are at the front of the household appliance by a fastener, such as a screw, releasably connected to each other. Before attaching the handle with the spigot a Griffblende can be attached to selbige, which is held by the handle. The arrangement described in this document is directed in particular to oven doors.

The doors of appliances of this type differ from those of dishwashers in that not the entire front of the large household appliance is formed by a pivotable door. The part carrying the controls is rather an integral part of the housing and immovable. The door itself occupies only part of the front of the large household appliance. The described arrangements are therefore not directly transferable to large household appliances, in which the entire front side is formed by a door. document EP-A-0727181 discloses a large household appliance with a door movable by a handle according to the preamble of claim 1.

The object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement of a handle on a movable door of a large household appliance, in particular a dishwasher, which has a control panel and an outer door, a user as simple and comfortable opening of the door should be possible. Furthermore, the arrangement should allow easy mounting of the handle on the door.

This object is achieved by the household large appliance with the features of claim 1.

According to the invention, the grip is arranged on the control panel and positively connected to a retaining device of the door arranged on the rear side of the control panel. In addition to an easier openability of the door due to the arrangement of the handle in the uppermost area of the door, the degrees of freedom in the design of the outer door are larger. Due to the frictional connection of the handle with the holding device of the door arranged on the rear side of the control panel, it is ensured that no or at least no large forces are exerted on the relatively unstable control panel, which usually consists of a plastic or stainless steel.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

Preferably, the holding device is formed by an inner door of the door or formed by a support bracket holding the operating elements, which is arranged between the control panel and an inner door of the door. In the case of a dishwasher, the inner door directly adjoins the treatment room and is exposed to the washing medium in a wash cycle. The inner door usually consists of a profiled metal sheet. Controls are often pre-mounted on a support plate, which in turn is mechanically connected to the inner door. The outer door represents the outer end of the door and is executed essentially from a design point of view. Both outer and inner door and the support plate are each supporting elements.

Preferably, there is a positive connection between the control panel and the handle, which is effected by a rear side arranged on the control panel fastening device which is releasably connected by means of a fastening means with the handle. The handle is mounted through holes in the bezel by means of the fastening device and the fastening means on the control panel. The attachment device can be, for example, a large-area attachment plate. The fastening means may be formed by a screw or a (threaded) bolt and a nut. Fastening device and fastening means allow the production of a semifinished product, which consists of the handle, the control panel and the fastening device, wherein said elements are interconnected by the fastening means. The pre-assembly of this handle / control panel unit allows a particularly simple and efficient production.

In order to produce a frictional connection between the handle and the holding device arranged on the rear side of the control panel, it is preferable for the fastening device or the fastening means to be connected in a force-locking manner to the holding device. This structural design also allows the further processing of the above-described semifinished product of the unit handle, control panel and mounting device. When enumerating the elements of the semifinished product, the fastener is implicitly included or assumed.

Preferably, the non-positive connection between the fastening device or fastening means with the holding device via a releasable connection. This allows a non-destructive removal of the above-mentioned semifinished product, which in turn can be disassembled into its components non-destructively.

In a particular embodiment, the releasable connection is formed by a bayonet lock, which is rotatably supported in the holding device and after attaching the unit from the handle, the control panel and the fastening device from a mounting position in a holding position can be brought, in which the bayonet lock is in engagement position with a fixing device formed in the fixing device. The adhesion of the handle to the holding device is thus formed on the releasable connection in the form of the bayonet closure. Bayonet locks have the advantage that they can be brought into engagement position by means of a simple rotary movement with their counterpart (on or in the fixing device) and are suitable for transmitting larger forces. The fixing device may be formed, for example, in the form of hook-shaped elements. It is also possible to bring the bayonet lock from the holding position back to the mounting position, so that the unit of the handle, control panel and fastening device of the holding device is destructive removable.

Preferably, the bayonet lock on a rotation, which secures this at least in the holding position against unintentional rotation relative to the fixing device.

In an advantageous embodiment, the anti-rotation is formed by a spring-mounted projection of the bayonet lock, which is releasably latched in coincidence with a recess of the holding device in the recess. The spring-mounted projection may be at any time, e.g. as part of a repair, are pushed out of the recess of the holding device, so that the bayonet lock from its holding position can be brought into the mounting position. In this, the unit of handle, control panel and fixture can then be removed from the door of the large household appliance.

Preferably, the holding device not only has a recess for the holding position of the bayonet closure, but a plurality of recesses, wherein by the at least one recess in each case a latching position of the bayonet closure is defined, in which it is secured against unintentional rotation. Thus, for example, be provided to secure the bayonet lock in its mounting position against rotation. In this way it is ensured that during assembly of the unit handle, control panel and mounting device of the bayonet lock can not be accidentally rotated, making the assembly of the unit would be difficult. Only after the unit has been brought into contact with the bayonet lock (in its mounting position), can be brought by loosening the anti-rotation of the bayonet lock in its holding position.

In another embodiment, the releasable connection has a first receptacle for the fastening means connected to the handle, and the fastening means can be fixed by a retaining element introduced into a second receptacle of the detachable connection. The fastening means, which according to this variant is preferably in the form of a threaded bolt, is preferably with a circumferential groove provided, which extends in the region of the second receptacle when the bolt is inserted into the first receptacle, so that the retaining element with the groove can be brought into an engagement position. In this variant, the releasable connection is connected in a simple manner releasably connected to the holding device of the door. The holding element can be formed for example by a screw which can be screwed into an existing internal thread in the second receptacle and engages in the groove of the fastening means. As a result, an axial displacement of the fastening means and thus of the handle against the holding device is prevented.

Conveniently, the control panel is releasably connected via a latching connection with the holding device. Corresponding latching connections are then available either directly on the inner door or, if present, on the arranged between the control panel and the inner door support plate.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the handle can be designed in several parts. In particular, it may comprise a handle bar and a handle base, these two elements being connected via the attachment means, e.g. a screw or a threaded bolt, are connected to each other, without this being visible from the outside.

For a simple assembly of fastening device and control panel, it is expedient if the fastening device has at least one recess and the control panel has a corresponding projection, so that the fastening device is guided on the control panel.

The fastening device and / or the bayonet closure are preferably each made of a material which has no or only small dimensional changes even at different temperatures or humidities. In particular, plastics, metals or metal alloys come into consideration.

The invention can be summarized as follows: In a large household appliance, in particular a dishwasher, with a movable door by a handle, the front panel having a control panel and an outer door, the handle is arranged on the control panel. The force is not applied directly to the control panel, but on a arranged on the back of the control panel holding device, which is formed by the inner door or connected to the inner door support plate. The invention is characterized by easy assembly and high flexibility in the design of the door. It is also ensured that all elements are non-destructive disassembled again, for example, to make repairs to the recessed in the control panel controls.

Further advantages, expediencies and embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. Show it:

FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a large household appliance with a treatment space enclosing housing and with a movable door by a handle, the front panel having a control panel and an outer door,

FIG. 2a a sectional view showing the attachment of the handle in the area of the control panel,

FIG. 2b a sectional view showing the attachment of the in FIG. 2a shows semifinished product shown on a holding device,

FIG. 3 a perspective view showing the attachment of the handle in the region of the control panel in another embodiment,

FIG. 4 3 is a perspective view illustrating a bayonet catch inserted in the holding device, which is secured against unintentional twisting;

FIGS. 5a to c different positions of the bayonet lock in the holding device during assembly, and

FIG. 6 the design of a recess in the holding device, which ensures a twisting of the bayonet closure.

In the various embodiments, the same or equivalent components are each referred to the same and provided with the same reference numerals. The illustrated proportions are not to be considered as true to scale. Rather, they are exaggeratedly thick for clarity and not shown in actual proportions.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a designed as a dishwasher large household appliance 100. This has a housing 29 and on the front side a door 2. The door 2 comprises a visible outer door 4 and a control panel 3 adjoining the upper side of the door 2. The control panel 3 has control elements 26, such as a display or control buttons, which are arranged on the front side of the door 2 in the present figure are. Contrary to the graphic representation, the controls 26 may also be arranged on the front side in the control panel 3.

FIG. 1 Due to two on the underside of the door connected to the housing hinges, it is advantageous for a comfortable opening to arrange the handle as far as possible in the upper region of the door due to the two hinges. So far, it was only possible to arrange the handle 1 in the vicinity of the control panel 3 on the outer door 4. This was unavoidable because the control panel 3 is not a supporting element of the door 2, but is connected for example via a latching connection with a back of the control panel 3 existing part of the door 2. A removable without tools connection between control panel and door is due to the embedded in the control panel controls to advantage this to wait or to exchange.

The stable attachment of the handle in the control panel therefore requires constructive measures to ensure the tightness of the handle on the door and to prevent damage to the control panel. In the sectional view of FIG. 2a is shown in a first variant, a way of attaching the handle to the door in the control panel. As already mentioned, the control panel 3 is connected via a detachable connection, such as a latching connection, with a support plate or an inner door of the door of the large household appliance to make a simple release possible at any time. The control panel 3 is therefore unable to fully absorb the forces exerted during the operation of the handle, without detaching from the inner door or the support plate or being damaged.

The construction according to the invention therefore has the structure that a frictional connection between the handle 1 is not made to the control panel 3, but to a holding device 11. The holding device 11 may be formed either by the inner door or the support plate. The control panel 3 has only holes 33 through which a respective bolt 22 can be inserted. The bolt 22, which has an external thread at one end, on the one hand ensures a secure connection between the components of the handle 1, namely a handle bar 27 and a handle base 28. On the other hand, the bolt also at its opposite end on an external thread, on a nut 30 is screwed. The nut 30 is used to fasten a fastening device 9 in the form of a flat mounting plate on the back of the control panel 3. The nut 30 and the fastening device 9 are preferably designed such that an independent release of the nut 30 is prevented by the threaded bolt 22.

Instead of the combination of threaded bolt 22 and nut 30 for attaching the handle 1 and the fastening device 9 may alternatively be used a through-bolt or any other same acting means.

This in FIG. 2a shown semifinished product can be pre-assembled for easy installation.

From the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2b goes the attachment of the in FIG. 2a shown semifinished product on the door of the large household appliance schematically. The fastening device 9 has a fixing device 15 in the form of two opposing hooks. These hooks make it possible to engage a correspondingly formed hook of a bayonet closure 13 in this. The bayonet closure 13 itself is rotatably mounted in a holding device 11, so that it in the in FIG. 2b shown position can be rotated. In this way, a frictional connection of the handle 1 via the bolt 22, the fastening device 9 and the bayonet lock 13 on the holding device 11 is ensured. The forces acting on the handle are thus effectively kept away from the control panel 3. At the same time it is ensured that a good fit between the control panel 3 and the handle 1 is ensured. In particular, a gap-free connection can be achieved between these elements. It is reliably avoided that no scratches occur on the control panel and a loosening of the handle by repeated pulling on the handle occurs.

The tolerances of the handle bar 27, the handle base 28, the bolt 22, the diaphragm 3 and the holding device 11 are compensated by the fastening elements 22, 30, the fastening device 9 and the bayonet closure 13. Small differences in depth, e.g. due to different Klcbedicken at control panels with a support, can be compensated by the fastening means (bolt 22 and nut 30). Due to the planar design of the fastening device 9 on the back of the control panel 3 and a corresponding configuration of the bayonet closure 13 in the region of the holding device 11 creates a stable connection, however, can be easily dismantled due to the selected connection technology.

From the FIGS. 4 to 6 go the design of the bayonet lock, the shape of the recess in the holding device 11 and different mounting positions of the bayonet lock better. FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the bayonet closure 13 in the holding device 11. The holding device 11, which is formed as mentioned by the inner door or a support plate and consists of a metal, has a substantially circular large recess 18 (see FIG. FIG. 6 ). Two opposing recesses 32 are used to carry out the bayonet closure 13, so that this enters into an intimate connection with the holding device 11 after twisting. Four recesses 19, which are each offset at an angle of 90 ° to each other, cooperate with an anti-rotation of the bayonet lock 13 described below. Each of the recesses 19 allows the fixed positioning of the bayonet lock in the holding device 11.

From the FIG. 4 The design and function of the anti-rotation is better. This is identified by the reference numeral 16 and formed by a spring-mounted projection 17 of the bayonet closure 13. The projection 17 is sized by its size so that it can engage in one of the recesses 19. The resilient portion 16, which is like the bayonet fitting 13 is preferably made of a plastic, exerts a force in the direction of the holding device 11, so that the projection 17 is pressed in overlapping with the recess 19 in this.

The bayonet lock has two opposing anti-rotation 16 on. The anti-rotation 16 allow easy installation, because the recesses 19 are arranged such that on the one hand a mounting position and on the other hand, a holding position in which the bayonet lock 13 engages in the fixing device 15 of the fastening device 9 define. Securing against twisting in the mounting position allows a precise engagement of the bayonet closure 13 and provided with the fixing device 15 fastening device 9. It can not lead to an unintentional tilting and eventual damage to the bayonet closure molded hook-shaped projections 31 and the correspondingly formed hook-shaped projections Fixing device 15 come.

In the FIGS. 5a to c the different positions of the bayonet closure 13 are shown during production. In FIG. 5a the bayonet lock 13 is in a position to be passed through the recess 18 and 32. Turning 45 ° counterclockwise ( FIG. 5b ) brings the bayonet lock 13 in its mounting position. FIG. 5c shows finally the bayonet lock in s a holding position in which this in engagement position with the fixing device formed in the fixing device (see FIG. 2b ) is brought. The twisting of the bayonet lock from its mounting position to the holding position is done manually during manufacture by the protrusions 17 of the anti-rotation 16 are pressed towards the front of the back of the holding device 11 ago, so that they are pushed out of the recess 19.

FIG. 3 Finally, shows an alternative variant with which the handle 1 can be arranged on the control panel 3, wherein a positive connection to the holding device 11 of the door is made. As in the previous embodiment according to FIGS. 2a and 2 B a threaded bolt 22 ensures a firm connection between the handle bar 27 and a handle base 28, which is directly adjacent to the control panel 3. The bolt 22 is provided at its opposite end with a groove 23. With this end, the bolt is inserted into a first receptacle 20 of a cylindrical fastening device 9. In this case, the groove 23 comes to lie in the region of a second receptacle 21, which is provided for example with a thread. In this second receptacle 21, a holding element 24 can be introduced in the form of a screw so that it engages with its tip in the groove 23 of the bolt 22. As a result, a displacement of the bolt 22 along the first receptacle 20 is prevented. The cylindrical fastening device has at its end remote from the control panel 3 end a flat plate 34 which can be inserted laterally into correspondingly shaped hook-shaped recesses 32. As a result, the frictional connection between the holding device 11 and the handle 1 is produced, so that when pulling on the handle, a force is introduced into the holding device 11.

The in the FIGS. 2a . 2 B such as FIG. 3 variants shown advantageously allow easy disassembly of the semifinished product from handle, control panel and mounting device of the door as well as disassembly of the semifinished product itself, without damaging one of the components.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 handle

2 door

3 control panel

4 outside door

9 fastening device

10 fasteners

11 holding device.

12 detachable connection

13 bayonet lock

15 fixing device

16 anti-rotation lock

17 lead

18 recess

19 recess

20 recording

21 recording

22 bolts

23 groove

24 retaining element

26 control element

27 handlebar

28 handle base

29 housing

30 mother

31 hooks

32 recess

33 recess

34 plate

100 household large appliance

Claims (18)

1. Large-size domestic appliance with a housing including a treatment space and with a door (2), which is movable by a handle (1) and which has at the front side a control panel (3), which has control elements, and an outer door (4), wherein the handle (1) is arranged on the control panel (3) and is connected in force-locking manner with a retaining device (11) arranged on the rear side (8) of the control panel.
2. Large-size domestic appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that a shape-locking connection is present between the control panel (3) and the handle (1) and is produced by a fastening device (9), which is arranged on the control panel at the rear side and which is detachably connected with the handle (1) by way of a fastening means (22, 30).
3. Large-size domestic appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the fastening device (9) or the fastening means (22, 30) is connected with the retaining device (11) in force-locking manner.
4. Large-size domestic appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the fastening device (9) or the fastening means (22, 30) and the retaining device (11) are connected together by way of a releasable connection (12).
5. Large-size domestic appliance according to claim 4, characterised in that the releasable connection (12) is formed by a bayonet coupling, which is rotatably mounted in the retaining device and which after placing in position of a unit consisting of handle (1), control panel (3) and fastening device (9) can be brought from a mounting setting to a retaining setting in which the bayonet coupling is in engagement setting with a fixing device (15) formed in the fastening device.
6. Large-size domestic appliance according to claim 6, characterised in that the bayonet coupling comprises rotational securing means (16) which secures the bayonet coupling at least in the retaining setting against an unintended rotation relative to the fixing device (15).
7. Large-size domestic appliance according to claim 6, characterised in that the rotational securing means (16) is formed by a resiliently mounted projection (17) of the bayonet coupling (13), which when in coincidence with a cut-out (19) of the retaining device (11) can be releasably detented in the cut-out (19).
8. Large-size domestic appliance according to claim 7, characterised in that a respective detent setting of the bayonet coupling (13) in which the bayonet coupling is secured against an unintended rotation is defined by the at least one cut-out (19).
9. Large-size domestic appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the releasable connection (12) comprises a first receptacle (20) for the fastening means (20) connected with the handle (1) and the fastening means (10) is fixable by a retaining element (24) introduced into a second receptacle (21) of the releasable connection (12).
10. Large-size domestic appliance according to claim 9, characterised in that the releasable connection (12) is detachably connected with the retaining device (11) of the door.
11. Large-size domestic appliance according to claim 9 or 10, characterised in that the fastening means (10) is a pin (22) with an encircling groove (23), which extends in the region of the second receptacle (21) when the pin is introduced into the first receptacle (20), so that the retaining element (24) can be brought into an engagement setting with the groove.
12. Large-size domestic appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the control panel (3) is detachably connected with the retaining device (11) by way of a detent connection (25).
13. Large-size domestic appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the retaining device (11) is formed by an inner door of the door (2).
14. Large-size domestic appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that the retaining device (11) is formed by a supporting plate which holds the control elements and which is formed between the control panel (3) and an inner door of the door (3).
15. Large-size domestic appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the handle (1) is of multi-part construction.
16. Large-size domestic appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the fastening device (9) has at least one cut-out and the control panel (3) has a corresponding projection so that the fastening device (9) is guided at the control panel (3).
17. Large-size domestic appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the fastening device (9) and/or the bayonet coupling (13) is or are respectively integrally formed from a plastics material, a metal or a metal alloy, which exhibits no or only small dimensional changes even at different temperatures or moisture levels.
18. Large-size domestic appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that this is formed by an automatic dishwasher.

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